Spending and Results:
What Does the Money Buy?
A Delta Data Update
2000–2010
Spending and Results:
What Does the Money Buy?
A Delta Data Update, 2000–2010
Donna M. Desrochers and Steven Hurlburt
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007-3835
202.403.5000 | 800.356.2735
This is one in a series of data briefs developed by the Delta Cost Project at AIR using data from the
IPEDS Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, which was released on August 14, 2012, by
the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The intent of these briefs
is to update key tables and figures from Trends in College Spending: Where does the money come from?
Where does it go? What does it buy?1
This data brief focuses on institutional spending and outcomes between 2000 and 2010, with particular
attention paid to changes between 2009 and 2010. The brief looks at two degree-related measures:
and completion ratios that compare the number of degrees or completions (total awards) to
•Degree
student enrollment
cost per the total number of degrees or completions awarded, which looks at education and
•The
related (E&R) costs (spending focused solely on the educational mission of colleges and universities)
through the lens of student outcomes rather than enrollments
The ratio showing aggregate degree productivity is a comprehensive measure that compares the overall
production of degrees to enrollments. Unlike cohort graduation rates that include only full-time, first-time
students, this measure captures the outcomes of all students at all levels, including postbaccalaureate,
part-time, and transfer students. The outcome and cost measures are single year “snapshots,” and,
as such, E&R spending per degree or completion may obscure the costs related to students who attend
one institution but graduate from another. This measure also does not account for the production costs
of different types of degrees and does not reflect the quality of education. Nevertheless, trends within
institutional groups should be less affected by these differences, and changes over time indicate
whether production costs are going up or down.
All of the Delta financial measures are shown in 2010 constant dollars. Tables presenting full-time
equivalent (FTE) enrollment (the basis for the degree and completion ratios) and the total number of
completions are included in the supplemental table section of this update.
Primary Findings on Spending and Results, 2000–2010
Figure 1 looks at degree and certificate productivity between 2000 and 2010.
of institutions awarded more degrees in 2010, but degree productivity was flat or declining.
•AllThetypes
average degree and certificate productivity failed to improve in 2010. Most types of institutions
either held steady or showed slight declines; however, public bachelor’s and community colleges
showed large single-year declines, averaging 1 degree per 100 FTE students.
addition to degrees, community colleges award many certificates, but the relative rate of
•Incertificate
production declined similar to that of degrees. When degrees and certificates are
combined, community college outcomes decreased by almost 2 completions per 100 FTE, the
largest decline among all types of institutions in 2010.
See http://deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/Trends2011_Final_090711.pdf.
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Spending and Results: What Does the Money Buy?
|1
enrollments, rather than a slowdown in the number of degrees and certificates, hampered
•Growing
degree productivity increases. Completions increased by 3 to 4 percent across all types of public
four-year institutions and by 9 percent at community colleges—generally marking the largest single-year
increases since 2005. But enrollments often grew faster, particularly at public bachelor’s and community
colleges, where FTE enrollment rose by 6 and 12 percent, respectively, in one year.
making little progress in 2010, most types of institutions showed improvement in productivity
•Despite
outcomes by the end of the decade, adding 1–2 more completions per 100 FTE since 2000; public
and private bachelor’s institutions were the exception. At community colleges, this boost came wholly
from certificates rather than degrees.
research and master’s institutions consistently demonstrated the highest degree productivity
•Private
(averaging close to 32 degrees per FTE student). Community colleges averaged the lowest degree
productivity rates, but when certificates are included their relative outcomes, they were comparable
to public research universities in 2010.
Figure 1
Degree productivity was flat or declining in all types of institutions in 2010.
Total degrees and completions per 100 FTE students, AY 2000–2010
40
30
20
10
0
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
’00 ’05 ’09 ’10
Research
Master’s
Bachelor’s
Community
colleges
Research
Master’s
Bachelor’s
Public institutions
Private institutions
Total degrees per 100 FTE students
Total certificates and awards per 100 FTE students
Source. IPEDS Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, 11-year matched set.
Figure 2 shows the spending per degree and completion between 2000 and 2010.
cost per total number of degrees and completions awarded declined in 2010 except at public
•The
bachelor’s institutions; since 2000, only community colleges are spending less per degree or completion.
E&R spending per degree and per completion declined between 1 and 2 percent from 2009 to 2010 at
most types of public four-year colleges and universities, though it increased at public bachelor’s colleges.
The largest one-year change was in community colleges, where average spending per completion
declined by 4 percent.
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Delta Cost Project
these recent declines, degree production costs at four-year institutions were still higher in
•Despite
2010 compared with 5 and 10 years earlier. The largest cost increases were at private institutions,
where the cost per completion rose by 18 percent at private research universities and 11 percent at
bachelor’s colleges over the decade. In public four-year institutions, production cost increases ranged
from 2 to 4 percent.
community colleges had lower average production costs by the end of the decade, with the
•Only
average cost per completion declining by 14 percent since 2000. Community colleges have historically
had the lowest cost per completion because short-term certificate programs are generally less costly
than degree programs.
and private master’s institutions had the lowest costs per completion among four-year
•Public
institutions in both sectors, averaging $54,000 in 2010.
Figure 2
Costs per total number of degrees and completions declined in 2010 across most types of institutions, but only community
colleges consistently decreased costs over the decade.
Average education and related spending per total number of degrees and completions awarded, AY 2000–2010 (in 2010 dollars)
$120k
$100k
$80k
$60k
$40k
$20k
$0k
’00
’05
’09
Research
’10
’00
’05
’09
Master’s
’10
’00
’05
’09
Bachelor’s
’10
’00
’05
’09
Community
colleges
’10
Public institutions
$40k
Spending per total number
of degrees awarded
$30k
Spending per total number
of completions awarded
$20k
$10k
$0k
’00
’05
’09
Research
’10
’00
’05
’09
Master’s
’10
’00
’05
’09
Bachelor’s
’10
Private institutions
Source. IPEDS Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, 11-year matched set.
Spending and Results: What Does the Money Buy?
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Supplemental Tables
Figure S1
FTE enrollment, AY 2000-2010
2000
2005
2009
2010
10-year change
Public research
2,996,782
3,346,624
3,561,280
3,669,834
22.5%
3.0%
Public master’s
1,722,723
1,950,242
2,092,926
2,163,384
25.6%
3.4%
237,245
274,466
290,398
307,902
29.8%
6.0%
2,843,154
3,496,802
3,801,306
4,251,990
49.6%
11.9%
Private research
837,277
924,412
977,558
1,003,533
19.9%
2.7%
Private master’s
790,952
942,520
1,027,568
1,056,664
33.6%
2.8%
Private bachelor’s
595,317
664,245
695,177
716,384
20.3%
3.1%
Public bachelor’s
Public community colleges
1-year change
Source. IPEDS Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, 11-year matched set.
Figure S2
Total number of completions (degrees, certificates, and other awards) by type of institution, AY 2000–2010
2000
2005
2009
2010
10-year change
Public research
729,102
839,580
905,512
934,673
28.2%
3.2%
Public master’s
384,778
449,949
496,508
511,810
33.0%
3.1%
45,267
53,568
59,489
61,980
36.9%
4.2%
Public community colleges
555,554
753,055
837,509
911,497
64.1%
8.8%
Private research
257,544
291,038
316,023
322,584
25.3%
2.1%
Private master’s
245,954
299,719
342,615
347,408
41.2%
1.4%
Private bachelor’s
142,330
158,921
168,095
171,625
20.6%
2.1%
Public bachelor’s
Source. IPEDS Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, 11-year matched set.
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Delta Cost Project
1-year change
Spending and Results: What Does the Money Buy?
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About the Delta Cost Project
The Delta Cost Project at American Institutes for Research provides
data and tools to help higher education administrators and
policymakers improve college affordability by controlling institutional
costs and increasing productivity. The work is animated by the belief
that college costs can be contained without sacrificing access or
educational quality through better use of data to inform strategic
decision making. For more information about the Delta Cost Project,
visit www.deltacostproject.org.
About American Institutes for Research
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and
offices across the country, American Institutes for Research (AIR) is
an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts
behavioral and social science research, and delivers technical assistance
both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education,
and workforce productivity. As one of the largest behavioral and social
science research organizations in the world, AIR is committed to
empowering communities and institutions with innovative solutions
to the most critical education, health, workforce, and international
development challenges.
AIR currently stands as a national leader in teaching and learning
improvement, providing the research, assessment, evaluation, and
technical assistance to ensure that all students—particularly those
facing historical disadvantages—have access to a high-quality,
effective education. For more information about American Institutes
for Research, visit www.air.org.
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007-3835
202.403.5000 | 800.356.2735
Copyright © 2012 American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved. 2813e_09/12